Fast Food Critic - Reviews, News and Nutrition Information about Fast Food.

On my visit to Arby’s today I discovered the Chocolate Turnover is back for a limited time. Unfortunately the store manager could not tell me how long it’s going to be around, and since it’s a holiday weekend I’m unable to reach my regular PR contact. So I cannot guarantee your local stores will have them, but if you plan on eating at Arby’s soon, definitely keep your eyes open because they’re delicious. They are made by Pepperidge Farm using Hershey’s cocoa. You can read my review here.

I will update that review with the new photo above, and others. It was one of my first reviews after starting the site, and those old images were taken with a cellphone.

By the way — Happy 4th of July to Everyone — God Bless America.

Dunkin’ Donuts continues to expand their oven-toasted menu, with the addition of the new Southwest Chicken Flatbread Sandwich, which features grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, red and green peppers, onions, and a maple-chipotle sauce, pressed inside a warm toasty flatbread shell. DD’s oven-toasted menu launched earlier this year as the most significant change to their product lineup since the company launched espresso-based beverages back in 2003.

In order to introduce the new menu, Dunkin’ Donuts shops received an entirely new cooking platform. New cooking ovens, using patented technologies, deliver the “Oven-Toasted” result. In addition to the new Southwest Chicken, three other classic flavors are available: Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon - Ham and Swiss - Grilled Cheese.

Visit DunkinDonuts.com to find a location near you.

Starbucks Corp. announced plans to close 600 stores this year, affecting 12,000 employees, or 7% of it’s total work force. The tough economy is hitting the company hard, as people are not splurging on expensive coffee drinks like they once were. MSN has more on the story here, and here.

Holy Cow — It’s time to break out your cow suit and leave your wallet out to pasture. On Friday, July 11, the Chick-fil-A chain will celebrate its annual Cow Appreciation Day event by offering a free meal to any customer who isn’t “too chicken” to visit any of the chain’s nearly 1,400 participating restaurants fully dressed as a cow.

Customers fully dressed as a cow will be rewarded with a free Chick-fil-A Meal, which includes an entree of choice, a side item and a Dr Pepper (or another beverage of choice). And for those who are a little timid to wear spots from head to toe, Chick-fil-A will award a complimentary entree to customers partially dressed in cow attire, such as a cow-spotted scarf, purse, hat or other accessory.

The July 11 event marks Chick-fil-A’s fourth annual Cow Appreciation Day celebration. Last year’s event — and the resulting turnout — confirmed that Chick-fil-A has a strong following of customers willing to go to great lengths to show their appreciation for cows. Thousands of customers visited Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country dressed in cow-themed costumes, ranging from simple cow-spotted t-shirts to full cow suits complete with furry ears, cow bells and homemade sandwich boards with personalized renditions of Chick-fil-A’s “Eat Mor Chikin” Cow messages.

Source: CFA. Visit Chick-fil-A.com to find a location near you.

McDonald’s USA has launched a national casting call inviting all consumers to submit a video or audio remix of the popular Big Mac chant. The winning remix will be featured in a new McDonald’s Big Mac commercial that will air at the end of July. Semi-finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and the winner will be chosen through an online voting system July 22. The only requirement is that you use the famous phrase “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” They have even prepared an audio kit with beats, loops and sounds you can download and use.

Visit MySpace.com/BigMacChant to learn more and get started.

You have to wait until next week to pick up your free tacos at Jack In The Box, but you can visit the Fast Food Maven today, and hear an exclusive interview with the man himself, Mr. Jack Box. That’s right, the Maven recently had a live phone conversation with the legendary fast food icon, and we’re all invited to listen in. Check it out.

This just in from the Jack In The Box Newsroom — SAN DIEGO. If filling up your fuel tank is draining your wallet, Jack in the Box is here to help ease your gas-pump pain. On Thursday, June 26, Jack in the Box restaurants will give two free (yes, free!) regular tacos to any guest who presents a gas receipt. “The rising price of fuel is really putting the pinch on consumers” said Terri Graham, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Jack in the Box Inc. “Giving away free tacos is our way of letting guests know that Jack’s got their back in these tough economic times.”

What: Jack in the Box restaurants will give away two free tacos to guests who present a valid gas receipt. Limit of one order of tacos per guest. No purchase necessary. Duplicates or copies will not be accepted.

When: Thursday, June 26, from midnight to 11:59 p.m.

Where: All participating Jack in the Box restaurants.

Editor’s Note — There’s no catch. Just show up with an original receipt from a recent gasoline purchase (any gas station) and get 2 Free Tacos. Simple as that.

McDonald’s recently gave the “Moms’ Quality Correspondents” access to one of their poultry facilities to learn how Chicken McNuggets are made, so they can give their children the answer to that often puzzling question. According to the press release this is “unprecedented”. From what I can tell, these Moms work for McDonald’s. They have their own website, McDonaldsMom.com which feels much like an advertisement, or pseudo reality TV show. These are not people off the street, like you and me. I’m not really sure how “unprecedented” or unbiased we can expect it to be.

I can understand wanting to defend their product. Chicken McNuggets have been blamed for the ills of the world. More than almost any other fast food item over the years, they’re the one I’ve seen the strangest, and most numerous stories about. But the reality is, they’re not that bad, and many stories are false or exaggerated.

Anyway, I’m not sure this is the best way to convince skeptics of the wholesome nature of the Chicken McNugget. We shall see. In addition to the McNuggets, they apparently have a whole series of tours to various McDonald’s facilities arranged, and there will be videos, interviews and all kinds of good McDonald’s coverage to follow.

Here’s a couple highlights of the press release.

“Beginning their tour at Keystone’s hatchery, the Moms learned about food quality and safety protocols, including incubation operations and traceability — the process used to trace chicken menu items in restaurants all the way back to the egg. They also learned about McDonald’s stringent animal welfare practices in place to ensure safe handling of the birds. The Moms then visited a broiler farm to witness how the chickens are cared for, fed and nurtured until fully grown. Keystone Foods representatives also discussed the bio-security measures that are taken to ensure McDonald’s strict food safety standards are met.

On the second day of the tour, the Moms visited the food production facility where they saw first-hand how the meat used to make Chicken McNuggets is carved from boneless, white meat chicken breasts. The same white meat is used in all McDonald’s premium chicken menu items including Premium Chicken Salads and Sandwiches as well as Snack Wraps.” — McDonald’s USA

Visit McDonaldsMom.com to learn more, and follow their adventures.

If you do not already have an account at GameFly, the folks at Pizza Hut want to give you 30 days of free video game rentals when you order using their online system. Just go to Pizza Hut’s website and use this online ordering form for your next pizza delivery. In addition to the free month of video game rentals, you will also be entered in their Gamer’s Fantasy Package contest, with $10,000 worth of prizes including a 60-inch plasma TV, Bose stereo and all three video game consoles: XBOX 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii.

Here’s the details of the Free GameFly offer, and Gamer’s Fantasy Contest.

Editor’s Note: Reading the fine print - You must cancel your GameFly subscription after the first month of free service, or they start billing you automatically.

Yet another new energy drink is hitting the market. This time it’s Venom from the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. They describe it as a drink: “For those wanting to experience thrill seeking adventures.” A simple translation: Hey kids, drink a couple of these, grab your skateboard and you’ll be bouncing off the walls. No offense intended. I just sometimes have trouble with the speed the world is moving already, so the thought of everybody around me being hyped up on super juice is somewhat concerning. I already have a friend who drinks Red Bull for breakfast, and it’s become an addiction, as strong as cigarettes for him. Anyway, sorry for the rant. The new VENOM energy drink comes in 3 flavors: Black Mamba, Regular, and Mojave Rattler. The new drink sports a sleek Aluminum bottle, with a re-sealable lid, something most canned energy drinks cannot offer.

For more information visit: DrPepperSnappleGroup.com